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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · foot · suit · wound · present · pound · capital · jam

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — a gift
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. present — there
  10. suit — clothes
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — the amount
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. suit — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — happy
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. capital — money
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com